W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) Major Shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui Acquires 368,000 Shares

W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui acquired 368,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $66.96 per share, with a total value of $24,641,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 54,589,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,655,313,187.84. This trade represents a 0.68% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

W.R. Berkley Price Performance

Shares of W.R. Berkley stock traded down $0.43 on Friday, hitting $67.10. 3,969,317 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,177,733. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $70.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.39. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 1-year low of $56.86 and a 1-year high of $78.96.

W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.16 billion. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.86% and a net margin of 13.01%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.R. Berkley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkley’s payout ratio is presently 7.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho set a $69.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley set a $75.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $64.00 target price (down previously from $73.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $68.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $87.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $71.47.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.R. Berkley

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in W.R. Berkley in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.82% of the company’s stock.

Key W.R. Berkley News

Here are the key news stories impacting W.R. Berkley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Sumitomo / Mitsui bought a sizeable block of Berkley shares over Jan. 20–21 (roughly 630,000 shares, ~ $42–$43M total), increasing its stake and signaling institutional confidence/support for the stock. Mitsui Sumitomo buys Berkley (WRB) shares worth $42.6m
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published an earnings preview outlining expectations for WRB’s Q4 results (premium growth, investment income and underwriting performance are items to watch). This is useful context ahead of results but isn’t a direct catalyst until earnings are reported. W.R. Berkley Gears Up to Report Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and price targets remain mixed (Buy/Hold/Sell split); consensus rating is around “Reduce” with an average target near the low- to mid‑$70s — keep an eye on how individual shops adjust targets after earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded WRB to a Sell and cut its price target sharply to $55 from $77, a move that likely pressured sentiment and contributed to selling pressure. TD Cowen downgrades W. R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) to a Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several near‑term quarterly and FY EPS forecasts for WRB (multiple cuts to Q4/Q1–Q3 2026–27 and FY2026–27 estimates), lowering expected earnings momentum — this reduces near‑term upside to the stock absent stronger underwriting/investment results.

About W.R. Berkley

W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is a publicly traded insurance holding company that underwrites and sells commercial property and casualty insurance, specialty insurance products, and reinsurance. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the company operates a portfolio of underwriting businesses that focus on niche and specialty commercial risks, offering coverage tailored to industries such as transportation, construction, professional services and other commercial lines.

The company’s product mix includes primary and excess casualty, property, professional liability, environmental and other specialty lines, together with treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions.